Annette O’Toole has built a long and diverse career in Hollywood, spanning nearly six decades in film and television.
The actress famously played Lana Lang, the love interest of Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent, in the 1983 superhero film Superman III alongside Christopher Reeve during his celebrated run as the Man of Steel.
A few years later, in 1987, she appeared opposite Martin Short in the romantic comedy Cross My Heart, which followed two people on an awkward third date as they try to hide uncomfortable truths about their lives.
Nearly two decades after starring in a Superman film, O’Toole returned to that same universe in a very different role. On the CW series Smallville, she portrayed Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Clark Kent, who was played by Tom Welling.
Now 73, the actress remains active in the entertainment industry and currently stars in the popular Netflix drama Virgin River. She was recently spotted running errands around Los Angeles, looking stylish and relaxed.
During the outing, O’Toole wore a flowing blue jacket paired with acid-wash jeans and brown leather boots. Her soft brown hair, now streaked with gray, fell naturally around her face as she went about her day.
As the California temperatures rose, the Texas-born actress removed her jacket to reveal a simple yet chic gray sweater underneath.
Although she was born in Houston, O’Toole moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was just 13 years old. Only two years later, she made her television debut with a guest appearance on The Danny Kaye Show.
Throughout the 1970s, she appeared on a number of popular television programs, including Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O and The Partridge Family. She also starred in the dark comedy television movie The Girl Most Likely To…, written by Joan Rivers and starring Stockard Channing.
Her film career gained momentum during that decade when she appeared in the satirical beauty-pageant film Smile alongside Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon.
However, one of her most memorable roles arrived in 1983 with Superman III, where she portrayed Lana Lang, the childhood friend and romantic interest of Clark Kent. Although the film did not match the success of the earlier Superman movies, fans still fondly remember her performance.
In later interviews, O’Toole spoke warmly about working with Christopher Reeve, describing him as incredibly kind and generous. She recalled on the podcast Inside of You, hosted by her Smallville co-star Michael Rosenbaum, that Reeve welcomed her to London by inviting her to dinner with his family and even took her to see Simon & Garfunkel perform at Wembley Stadium.
She also remembered being amazed the first time she saw him fully dressed as Superman on set, admitting the moment gave her chills.
In the early 1990s, O’Toole became part of another iconic project when she appeared in the television miniseries adaptation of It by Stephen King. She played the adult version of Beverley Marsh, one of the characters who had faced the terrifying clown Pennywise as a child.
During the same decade, she received an Emmy nomination for portraying Rose Kennedy, the mother of President John F. Kennedy, in the ABC miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts.
Her return to the Superman world came in 2001 when she joined the cast of Smallville. She appeared as Martha Kent for six seasons and later returned for occasional guest appearances during the show’s final years.
Over the following decades, O’Toole continued to make guest appearances on popular television dramas such as Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.
Since 2019, she has been a regular on the hit Netflix romantic drama Virgin River, where she plays Hope McCrea, the outspoken mayor of the small Northern California town at the center of the series.
Away from the screen, O’Toole has also enjoyed a stable personal life. She has been married to actor and comedian Michael McKean — known for films like Best in Show and This Is Spinal Tap — since 1999.
She also has two daughters from her previous marriage to actor Bill Geisslinger, whom she was married to from 1983 until their divorce in 1993.
